NUMBER EIGHTEEN
One of my most played artists of the year according to Spotify, and also album to one of my favourite opening songs of the year - in at number 18 is How To Be A Human Being by Glass Animals.
It's no secret the amount of work that goes into making a second album, especially after the first album was such an amazing debut. However, Glass Animals have not only made an album that holds its own next to their debut, they may have actually blown that album out of the water. HTBAHB gives us all of the vocal intricacies and interesting synths that we loved about the first album and makes the whole thing bigger. This album has more levels to it, better production, more room for live expansion, just overall more reach. It's no surprise that this record was nominated for this year's Mercury Prize.
Not the first album on my list to be nominated for the award and not the last either. However this is one of the few that I would've liked to see win this year, mainly because of my favourite tracks on the record and to be honest, some of my favourites of the year. "Life Itself", "Youth", "Pork Soda" and "Mama's Gun" have racked up a silly amount of plays from me this year. All considerably different, although each perhaps the most notably "Glass Animal-esque" on the record. However, it is clear that the past few years of touring and developing their live shows has had an affect on how much they've branched out and expanded the sounds that they're boldly experimenting with.
One thing that kept this album from reaching the higher points of my list is the lyrics. I know that Dave Bayley is particularly keen on having the lyrics open to interpretation, however I would have preferred a bit more of a give away on the album. The lyricism has definitely developed since the debut, and as always it's part of what gives the band their niche, I just would've liked to understand a little bit more about the overall concept.
Not the first album on my list to be nominated for the award and not the last either. However this is one of the few that I would've liked to see win this year, mainly because of my favourite tracks on the record and to be honest, some of my favourites of the year. "Life Itself", "Youth", "Pork Soda" and "Mama's Gun" have racked up a silly amount of plays from me this year. All considerably different, although each perhaps the most notably "Glass Animal-esque" on the record. However, it is clear that the past few years of touring and developing their live shows has had an affect on how much they've branched out and expanded the sounds that they're boldly experimenting with.
One thing that kept this album from reaching the higher points of my list is the lyrics. I know that Dave Bayley is particularly keen on having the lyrics open to interpretation, however I would have preferred a bit more of a give away on the album. The lyricism has definitely developed since the debut, and as always it's part of what gives the band their niche, I just would've liked to understand a little bit more about the overall concept.
